The present invention relates to vehicle fuel supply systems and more particularly relates to automatic fuel shut-off devices for such systems.
Vehicles, such as industrial tractors, are commonly equipped with an engine mounted on the vehicle main frame by engine mounts which include resilient vibration isolators which permit the engine to undergo a limited amount of movement relative to the frame. To accommodate this movement, a fuel supply line for connecting a fuel tank of the vehicle to a fuel pump fixed to the engine includes at least a short resilient section, in the form of a rubber hose, extending between the pump and a steel fitting or line that is, in turn, connected to the fuel tank.
Fires which occur on industrial tractors are often located in the engine compartment where combustible materials, such as trash and/or petroleum products have collected and ignited because of the hot environment caused by the engine or where electrical wires have deteriorated and shorted out. These fires, if left to feed on the combustibles available at their onset, would normally burn themselves out and cause only a relatively limited amount of damage. However, instances are known where these relatively minor fires have resulted in the total destruction of a vehicle due to the fact that the fires have burned through the rubber fuel line section, thus permitting many gallons of fuel to escaped to feed, spread and intensify the fire.